JavaScript is required to use this site.

State Representatives Robert Sprague (R-Findlay) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) this week introduced the Abuse-Deterrent Technology bill, which promotes the utilization of abuse-deterrent formulations, that prevents crushing pills into powder for drug abuse.

House Bill 248 requires health insurance companies to provide coverage for abuse-deterrent opioids, which cannot be easily tampered with for abuse. Prescription opioids are traditionally diverted, crushed, or melted by users. Abuse-deterrent formulations have shown to decrease these unscrupulous practices.

“According to the most recent state statistics, there were 2,110 overdose deaths in 2013. This is about a 10-percent increase from the previous year,” said Representative Sprague. “This legislation will give physicians the opportunity to utilize tamper resistant forms of these highly abused and diverted substances.”

Many companies have released abuse-deterrent formulations, and these formulations have been proven to reduce abuse, street value, and overdose calls.

House Bill 248 is just one part of a recently introduced package of bills to address Ohio’s addiction problem. The other bills include House Bill 4, House Bill 249, House Bill 250, and House Bill 251.

The chairman of the Ohio House Prescription Drug Addiction and Healthcare Reform Study Committee, Robert Sprague (R-Findlay), has begun to discuss details of the findings and recommendations recently released as part of the committee Chairman’s Report.

State Representative Robert Cole Sprague (R-Findlay) has set up an online legislative survey in an effort to gain feedback from the residents of the 83rd Ohio House District regarding a variety of state issues. The survey can be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/SpragueSurvey2013.